Magic City Writing

The Magic City

Monday, August 24, 2015

Hi y'all! I'm Sundance, J-Dog's little brother (my nickname is Outlaw). He normally doesn't let me near the computer, but since he has some new mice-mice, I was able to sneak in some keyboard time. As a big fan of independent movies, I'm here to let y'all know about a great film that will be showcased this weekend at Birmingham's Sidewalk Film Festival.

As y'all know, J-Dog's and my mom, big-loud-blonde-lady who-has-the-thumbs-to-open-cans-of-wet-food writes romance ("big blonde lady" for short). Romance fans are voracious readers. It is one of the best selling genres out there. Who doesn't love a happily every after? I sure do, especially if it involves me catching that blasted red dot.

Anyway, Love Between the Covers is an amazing documentary about the unbelievable community of romance writers. Surgeons. Lawyers. Homemakers. Librarians. Physicists. You name it - every walk of life is represented among this group of hard-working ladies. You've met a bunch of them through J-Dog's #FuzzyFridays.

If you're an aspiring writer or someone who loves reading a story that will always deliver a "happily every after," you must watch Love Between the Covers. You will be inspired by the determination and dedication these authors devote to their stories and fans. There is nothing like the romance community, and Love Between the Covers lets you be a part of it.

Per Sidewalk's schedule, the film will air Saturday, August 29, from 1:15 to 2:38 at the ASFA Lecture Hall.

Here is the synopsis from the Sidewalk website:

The romance novel, often casually spotted in the hands of a woman on the subway or on a grandmother's shelf amongst hundreds of titles is an easily dismissed genre. However, to many, it's more than a paltry fictional category, it's a lifestyle . . . one that yields a reading speed of 3 to 5 books a week. This rapidly consumed genre is largely responsible for keeping the book industry alive. Love Between the Covers uncovers the camaraderie behind the romance novel's authors and readers and the fight for deserved respect in the world of book snobs.- Hallie Tarpley
Watch the trailer:

Every time, the big blonde lady watches this, she screams out who her friends our. She must really love that Manda Collins lady because she whoops every time she comes up in the trailer.

Check out Love Between the Covers this weekend at Sidewalk. There are so many great films, it is hard to choose which to see. This one is Sundance, the Outlaw, approved. For more information on film festival tickets, go to: http://sidewalkfest.com/get-tickets/

Friday, August 21, 2015

Lily & Lulu take over Fuzzy Friday and leave white hair
all over your black pants…

J-Dog is thrilled to introduce you to Lily White and Lulu white, award-winning author Meda White's fur babies. Their Southern charm shines on this #FuzzyFriday.

“Hey, y’all. I’m Lily White,
firstborn furbaby of award-winning author Meda White, or as I like to call her,
Mama Meda, yip-yip, or the lady trying to hide a pill in my cheese. She rescued
me from hot, humid Florida and brought me to hot, humid Alabama. Yeehaw! That’s
a word I learned after meeting my mama.”

“Howdy. I’m Lulu White and I let my
sista, Lily, think she’s the firstborn because she found Mama Meda first, but
I’m on my third or fourth life now. A country kitty like me tends to lose count
after a while…and teeth. Geriatric. Pfft. I’ll claw that vet’s eyeballs out the
next time I see ‘im. The dirt roads of rural Georgia made me tough. But having
a mama who’s a writer has educated me beyond my wildest mouse-filled dreams.”

“So, we have to make this quick because Mama went to teach
her yoga class and left her computer on. We hijacked it, but Lulu has to type
for me because she has smaller paws.” Lily pats Lulu on the head.

After a lightning fast head shake and short hiss, Lulu
continues, “You can’t even read, much less type.”

“Shows how much you know, my feline companion. Don’t make me
gnaw on your face in public.” Lily offers an evil grin.

“Stop trying to show off. We’re here to promote Mama Meda
because, admittedly, she kinda stinks at patting herself on the back.”

“So true. Her first Southland Romance just won an award.”
Lily licks her paw.

“That trophy is heavy as all get out. I’d hate to knock it
off the shelf and have it fall on your head, sister. It could kill you dead,
and unlike me, you only have the one life.” Lulu licks her shoulder.

“Alrighty then, old gal.” Lily huffs a short laugh. “Since
you weren’t living here when she wrote that one, let me tell you, you’re so
lucky. My sleep schedule was all jacked up. She’d be up writing or revising at
three in the morning.”

“What’s the big deal? I’m up running laps at that time.”

“Yeah, I know. That’s why I learned to close the bedroom
door, so you don’t wake our dad up.”

“That’s you?” Lulu squints an eye
at Lily. “You’re smarter than I thought.”

Lily pants with a big grin. “Thanks. Anyway, Mama got the
idea for the start of that story when she and dad were knocking down the old
deck. For Play With My Heart, it’s
kinda like the meet cute. When Ian sees Liz for the first time.”

“Since loud noises make you run for soft beds and tight
spaces by toilets, I bet you loved that.”

“Hey. PTSD is a real thing. You have no idea where I was
rescued from.” Lily pouts, staring off into the distance.

“Let’s give her a moment, folks.” Lulu rolls her eyes and
yawns. “I’ve been at Casablanca, ahh, that’s a fancy name for The White House,
long enough to know about the late nights Mama Meda spends in front of the
computer. Those are the best times because the lightweight over there,” she
glances at Lily, “is dead to the world, and I have Mama all to myself. Her lap
is the best. Especially, when she’s on the desktop computer. I have a problem
with that laptop and I might pee on it one day.”

“If you like those tasty treats she spoils you with, you’ll
rethink that plan, Sista.” Lily lulls her tongue to one side. “That laptop is
our drib and dribble, kit and kibble, doodle and caboodle.”

“For the record,” Lulu’s whole body shivers, “Lily’s the
only one here who eats doodles. Just sayin’.”

“What? Is there something wrong with that?”

“So much.” Lulu shakes her head. “I happen to be a fan of
the latest book, Fool With My Heart.
Johnny Baker is my hero.”

“Later. Mama needs us to help her sell some books. All of
the books are wonderful, and we’re not biased or anything. The Southland
Romance Series is based on a fictional family called the Bakers.”

“Yeah, they’re kinda like the Brady Bunch in boots and blue
jeans, and Southland is the name of the family ranch, where they have all kinds
of animals. Except a barn cat.” Lulu coughs up a hairball.

“Well the dogs are bulldogs because the family all went to
the University of Georgia. I mean, how unoriginal is that? Adopt a collie,
people. Go, SEC football.” Lily actually barks, which resembles Sanford Stadium
on game day.

“My tiny, sensitive ears can’t take much more of this.” Lulu
rotates said body parts several degrees. “Here’s my advice; buy the book, read
it, then leave an honest review somewhere. My potbelly and I thank you very
much.”

“Yeah, give ‘em the links, sista.”

“Okay, but these are a pain to copy and paste. I mean, this
mouse pad is a little squirrely.”

“I’m back. What did I miss?” Lily paces side to side. “Did
you tell them they’ll love the book? Did ya? Huh? Huh? Huh?”

“I love my sister.” Lulu sighs. “I really do. Mainly because
my mama’s trying to teach me to love everybody. But I refuse to love that ugly
orange cat that jumped me last week. Scared the crap out of me. Literally. But
don’t worry, Lily ate it.” Lulu rolls on her back and wallows a second. “Just
kidding.”

“Thanks for visiting with us, and thanks to Ms. Heather for
hosting. For more on all of the books, check out Mama Meda’s website at www.MedaWhite.com . We love y’all, and
don’t forget to pet your favorite fur baby.”

Friday, August 7, 2015

At the request of the soft human who gives
treats, we three superior lifeforms have agreed to an interview with our
like-bodied companion J-Dog. Our mission is to somehow learn from the many
fingered humans how to open the tasty bags of treats she has placed on a high
shelf. Once we have mastered this skill, we will be gods among cat kind. Until
that time we live peacefully, accepting the soft human’s treats and sitting in
the warm spot provided by her partner, lap man.

What is Mommy currently reading?

We have noticed that the soft human has too many books. She has
half read books in the dining room (Mrs. Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
by Ransom Riggs), books in the living room (The Cat Made Me Buy It by Alice
Muncaster), books in the bedroom (Keeping You A Secret by Julie Anne Peters)
and even books on her light up toy that she’s always carrying and tapping on
(Charlotte & the Pirate by Patricia Green) and the large lighted toy that
she types on in front of the big moving window in the living room (The Boys on
the Mountain by John Inman). We see her reading all of them at the same time.
She moves from room to room and picks up a different book for each room. It is
most peculiar.

What was the most recent thing I did to get in trouble?

Jerry physically restraining the soft human to

encourage
her writing productivity.

The soft human and the lap man are often
admonishing us for not adhering to their human ways. One day they washed all
the throw rugs in the house and laid them out to dry on the tile in the
kitchen. This made the rugs smell terrible, so we took the catnip from the pantry
and spread it all over the rugs. We three enjoyed it very much. And then we
shoved the baggie of catnip behind the stove so they wouldn’t find it until their
next spring cleaning. They did not appreciate our efforts. We have resigned
ourselves to continuing to educate them on the attractiveness of catnip.

What are my observations of Mommy's writing process?

Sammie uses his death glare to keep the soft

human writing
on her deadline

The soft human has to be supervised at all
time during her writing process. We take shifts. The five a.m. writing hour is
covered by Thor. He likes to get up early and sits on the couch while she types
on the big lighted toy. It’s early and they don’t talk much but she knows he’s
there. At night, Sammie is in charge. He burrows under her arm so he can view
the screen and make sure she’s not writing anything objectionable, i.e.,
anything bad about cats. On the weekends, it’s Jerry’s job to help her drape
the lap blanket over her legs and then hold her legs down on the couch so that
she cannot escape, thus helping her productivity.

What is Mommy currently writing?

The soft human is working on more than one project, predictably.
That is all Sammie reports back. He has seen the different pictures she
attaches to each one. One has ghostly images and teenagers. Another has strange
flying humans in a sepia toned Western background. And another involves a
colorful and sinister carnival.

We
were very disappointed that there are no cats in the current book the soft
human published. Instead she has a human with tentacles which made Jerry and
Sammie think of seafood. Thor only eats chicken. She read some of it out loud.
The tentacled man helps a space man buy a rocket. The tentacled man likes the space
man but the space man doesn’t likes his tentacles. Again there are no cats in
the story. But she told us that more treats would be forthcoming if people
bought the story. We think more people would buy it if there were cats in it.

Meet the Soft Human

Aidee
Ladnier began writing fiction at twelve years old but took a hiatus to be a
magician’s assistant, ride in hot air balloons, produce independent movies,
collect interesting shoes, and amass a secret file with the CIA. A lover of
genre fiction, it has been a lifelong dream of Aidee's to write both romance
and erotica with a little science-fiction, fantasy, mystery, or the paranormal
thrown in to add a zing.

The Soft Human's Book

When the right space pilot walks into his bar,
a desperate bartender uses all his wiles (and tentacles) to talk the man into
business and his bed--but the spacer is still enslaved by his past and isn't
sure he can deal with a two-armed lover, much less one with six.

As
the supply shipments stop coming, Teo Houdin needs all his tentacles to keep
his waystation bar open. Facing a riot by thirsty miners stranded in the
backwater of the galaxy, Teo helps a greenie space pilot buy a ship in return
for a regular haul of liquor. But he longs for the courage to invite the
enigmatic spacer to fill his lonely bed as well.

Still
smarting from his newly implanted navigational ports, Jimenez knows owning his
own ship will prevent him from ever being bought and sold again. For a former
slave, transporting cargo through the emptiness of space sounds like paradise,
but after meeting the compassionate and sexy Teo, his heart feels empty, too.

At
the edge of the galaxy's spiral arm, can Teo convince Jimenez that the heart
has its own tentacles and theirs should be entwined forever?

Excerpt:

Jimenez opened the bar’s airlock and the urge to run out again
washed over him like a splash of cold water. He commanded his frozen legs to
shuffle forward and inside. This could turn ugly if he lost his concentration
for even a moment. But he wouldn’t. He’d been practicing, becoming accustomed
to groups larger than this for revs now.

He could be just like everyone else.

None of them would see the scars on his back or the brand of his
tattoo that had marked him since puberty.

Men and women filled half the tables and booths, some laughing and
drinking, a few puffing blue smoke. The gaming tables on the side were empty,
while a lone player at the billiard table opposite pocketed ball after ball.
The room rang with loud voices, clinking glasses, and raucous music.

Jimenez slid into an empty spot at the pale stone bar and caught
sight of the clearest, happiest eyes he’d ever seen, a shade lighter than the
man’s tousled brown mop above. A dimple quirked at the side of his full lips,
mesmerizing Jimenez. The loud voices behind him slid away and for a moment, it
was quiet in his mind. Jimenez flinched when his shoulder was jostled and the
spell broke.

“Hey, you okay, buddy? First time? What can I pour for you?”

Jimenez blinked, realizing the tall bartender was speaking to him.
The man’s smiling eyes crinkled at the corners of his bronzed face. Jimenez
swallowed, and he ducked his chin, trying not to stare again, trying to hide
his hot cheeks. He’d never been so close to such a handsome man.

“Did you want a drink?” The bartender quirked an eyebrow.

“Yeah… I mean yes. Whiskey neat.” His voice came out gruffer than
he expected.

“Bourbon, Scotch, Rye…?”

“Surprise me.” It was a game Jimenez played. He’d order whiskey
and discover what the bartender served. If he reached for the rail bottle
closest to hand, it meant he would pour either the cheapest or the local
favorite. If he pulled something from the top shelf, the bartender angled for a
bigger tip. But if he grabbed a decanter off to the side or behind another
bottle, he’d score the bartender’s personal pick.

“Coming right up.”

The bartender raised a tentacle in greeting, calling out to
another patron.

Oh, God. The man was a Pod.

Of course he was.

In a joint named the Klockwerk Kraken, who better to tend the bar
than a tentacled man?

Find the Soft Human on the Internet:

In recognition of alien, ahem, feline superiority, J-Dog is giving away to one commenter a $10 Amazon Gift Card purchased through Amazon Smile to benefit the Alabama Spay Neuter Clinic. The good people of the Alabama Spay Neuter Clinic stem the time of unwanted and abandoned companion animals by offering low-cost, high-quality spay and neuter surgeries. For more information, go to: http://alspay.org/

Friday, July 31, 2015

My name is Wilson.
I’m a yellow Lab, technically speaking, but my mom describes me as cream
colored, like a Vendela Rose, whatever that means. A few weeks ago, the
doorbell rang at my house, I barked like I’m supposed to and the humans I lived
with opened the door. A stranger, a woman stood at the door and it was love at
first sight. I jumped up on her and half an hour later I let the new stranger
take me to her house and I’ve lived there ever since.

I also go to work at the flower shop with her and Daddy
every day. What a strange place. Every day, there’s a guy named Keith who backs
his big truck up to the front door and Mom goes outside and looks in the truck
and then comes back with her arms full of flowers. I like to walk directly
under those flowers so I can do a smell inspection. I have to be sure to stay
no more than six inches away from her legs as she walks, that way I’m in
optimum range for keeping my nose in everything. Got to stay on top of things! My
mom seems kind of uncoordinated. She’s always tripping over me as I help her in
with the flowers. Lots of strangers come in and out every day to take flowers
away with them. I try so hard not to bark at them, because I know my mom and
dad don’t like it. I just wish they would let me do my job!

I’m really working on trying not to pull my mom or dad too
hard on the leash when I walk them. They’re just so slow! The other day, Mom
left a sandwich out on the design table at work for me. I politely waited until
she answered the phone, and then once again, for politeness’ sake, I stealthily
stood on my hind legs and strenuously reached for the sandwich with my teeth. I
swallowed it whole to keep down the mess of crumbs. I try so hard to be thoughtful;
I have to wonder why my mom put the sandwich in a place that was so hard for me
to reach. I guess she just gets distracted with all the things going on at once.
At times like those I wish my humans could speak dog like everyone else.

I love to lay my head on my mom’s lap when she sits at the
desk to write or on her foot when she stands at the computer at work or uses
her laptop. I think she’s writing books when we do this. She’s working on a
novella right now. It’s about a mystery that happens at a New Year’s Eve party.
Lots of other authors are going to put their stories in with hers and they will
sell it in October. Mom also writes The Flower Shop Mystery Series and right
now she’s working on the fourth book in the series. I understand there’s a new
dog in those books, but I’m sure he’s not half the flower shop dog that I am. I
think Mommy’s books are funny. They tell the story of Quincy McKay, who is a
florist with a wacky delivery driver named K.C. They solve mysteries and get in
a lot of trouble. Quincy’s
love interest is a cop named Alex. I admit I have a bit of a dog crush on him.

After we go home, we’ll work in the yard. I don’t know how
they did it without me! Then, Mommy will go into her room and work on her books
while I go to bed and dream about another sandwich at the flower shop.

Wilson's mom, Author Annie Adams, writes cozy mysteries with a kick of romance. She is the author of the ARRANGEMENTS series. When not writing, she can be found arranging flowers or delivering them in her own Zombie Delivery Van. She's a member of the Romance Writers of America, the Utac chapter of RWA (URWA) and the Kiss of Death chapter of RWA (KOD).

Friday, July 24, 2015

Hi I’m Blue the Fish. I’m
a beta, which is a fish, and I’m Blue. Yeah, I
know. I’m hoping that my human is saving all his creativity for his
Thrones & Bones series, because he certainly isn’t
expending it on creative names for pets. I see him most days across the room,
standing on those leg things of yours at his high kitchen table, banging away
at the keys. Sometimes he giggles and sometimes he swears. I don’t
know if it’s any good or not because books don’t
do well inside of an aquarium. But the humans seem to like it. I’m
told that the books are for kids eight and up—which
seems awfully old to a Beta. I’m about two and a
half—and they feature all kinds of land-dwelling monsters like
trolls, draug, dragons, manticore, and other beasts that don’t,
thankfully, get in the water very often.

But enough about that. My aquarium is a ten gallon tank,
which was plenty of room for a beta, so they added a Grecian urn, a Chinese
lion, a plastic plant, and a tiny house and a tiny castle. Unfortunately, they
also added something called a plecostomus. Her name (I think she’s
a her, but really who can tell?) is Lilly Pad. She sticks to the bottom eating
muck (yuck!) and I swim at the top. Unfortunately, she also sleeps in my
Grecian urn.The lion isn't hollow,
neither is the house or castle, and the plastic of the plant isn’t
really friendly to my elegant-if-I-don’t-say-so-myself
fins. So I need some new fixtures, maybe a cool covered bridge or a real
castle. Also, Lilly Pad needs some driftwood. Yeah, she eats that in addition
to muck. Can you imagine?

So go buy Frostborn, it’s
recently out in paperback so it’s cheaper than the
filters for my water wheel, and if you're feeling really adventurous, buy Nightborn
too. Because this plecostomus is hogging my urn and I want my owner feeling
flush. Um, feeling flush but not flushing. Not anyone around here anyway.

_______

Blue the fish enjoys flaring at his reflection in the
glass, gobbling fish pellets, and hiding in the shadows. He absolutely does not
enjoy the laser pointer and has no desire to chase it, thank you.

Lou Anders enjoys writing children’s
books. He drew on a recent visit to Norway along with his adventures traveling
across Europe in his teens and twenties to write Frostborn and Nightborn,
combining those experiences with his love of globe-trotting adventure fiction
and games (both tabletop and role- playing) However, he has yet to ride a
wyvern. With the addition of characters Desstra and Tanthal, Anders hopes that
his second book in the Thrones and Bones series will continue to appeal to boys
and girls equally. Anders is the recipient of a Hugo Award for editing and a
Chesley Award for art direction. He has published over five hundred articles
and stories on science fiction and fantasy television and literature. A
prolific speaker, Anders regularly attends writing conventions around the
country. He and his family reside in Birmingham, Alabama. You can visit Anders
online at louanders.com and ThronesandBones.com, on Facebook, on Tumblr, and on
Twitter at @ThronesandBones and @LouAnders.

Want to go for a walk? We’re
Mommy’s personal trainers. Since I’m a Labrador retriever and Al is a Lab-husky
mix, we love to go for walkies. If Mommy has been sitting in front of that
glowing thing she calls a “laptop” too long, I stare at her until she takes me
out. I can stare for a long time.
Sometimes it’s because I want food, too. Are you sure you don’t have treats?
Here, I’ll roll on my back in the grass to entertain you.

(Al
leaps up in a sleepy stupor) Where’s Mom? Where’s Mom? Is she in the
kitchen? I love the kitchen! Oh, hi. I’m Al. When did you get here? Do you have
treats? Here, I’ll sit. And nudge your hand. Everyone says I’m very silly.
(They say Jack is handsome, but don’t tell him that. He has a big ego.)

Our mommy does this thing called
“writing romance novels”, which is when she stares at that laptop for hours,
muttering to herself. Jack and I sometimes think she’s talking to us and we wag
our tails. She also talks to “Siri” when we’re out on our walkies and she gets
an idea. Oof. Just thinking about walkies makes me tired. (Passes out in the grass)

Jack again. I was busy digging in the
mulch. Mommy is a finalist in a contest called the Golden Heart. She’s going to
a big conference next week for the Romance Writers of America. That means Al
and I get to hang out at Grandma and Grandpa’s house--yes! The book Mommy wrote is called Puppy Love. It was inspired by the time she spent working at an
animal shelter. Don’t talk about that with Al--that’s where she adopted him
from.

(Al,
chasing bunnies in his sleep) Don’t like cages. Don’t like cages.

The lady in the book is a
veterinarian who moves to a small town in Southwest Michigan to work at an
animal shelter clinic. Some of the cats and dogs in the story were inspired by
pets Mommy knows. There’s a naughty husky who talks she says is like Al, and
two needy Weimaraners she says are like me. I don’t think so. (Crawls up on your lap) Tell me I’m a
good boy. (Al woofs in his sleep)

Our mommy’s a big supporter of
giving pets a second chance at a forever home. The man in Puppy Love is, too. He’s a lawyer from Chicago who’s back in his
hometown to help his mommy because his daddy “crossed over the Rainbow Bridge”.
He rescues an injured dog in the pouring rain at the start of the book. I like
him--he has treats. These two lost people find their way together by helping pets
in need. It’s like the shelter’s motto: Where
Two Hearts Become One.

(Al
opens one eye just to make sure a turkey sandwich hasn’t fallen near him)

Mommy is excited about making lots
of new friends as she pursues her dream of being a published author. She asks
people to “Like” and “Follow” her, which I think means sniffing each other’s
butts at the park. If you see us, say hi! Al and I love making friends, too.
Especially if they have treats.

Do you have a rescue pet story to
tell? Please share it in the Comments!

*****

Kelly Farmer has been writing
romance novels since junior high. In those days, the heroes were the star
quarterback on the high school football team who drove Corvettes and were named
Brad. Now, she writes down to earth stories about the guys and girls next door.
Her current manuscript, Puppy Love, takes place at a small-town animal
shelter in a fictional Southwest Michigan resort town. It is a 2015 Romance
Writers of America Golden Heart® Finalist in the Contemporary Romance category.

When not writing, she enjoys
walking her two large, spunky senior dogs, quoting from Eighties movies, and
following NHL hockey. Kelly lives in the Chicago suburbs, where she complains
about the weather 300 days a year.

J-Dog thinks Jack and Al are awesome, and he will be keeping his paws crossed for Kelly during the Golden Heart ceremony July 25 (which you can watch live - for more info, go here). He's hoping Kelly will write another book called Kitty Crush.

J-Dog wanted to remind you of the good work the Alabama Spay Neuter Clinic does. They provide much needed low cost, high quality spay/neuter services. You can learn more about them on their Facebook page.

One of the great things the Alabama Spay Neuter Clinic does is a TNR program. Trap-Neuter-Return involves trapping the cats in a feral colony, getting them spayed and neutered, adopting out kittens and friendly cats, then returning the adult feral cats to their territory and providing them with food and shelter. TNR significantly reduces noise from fighting, odor from spraying, and more litters of kittens. J-Dog does all his shopping through AMAZON SMILE. Through this program, Amazon donates 0.5% of eligible purchase to a charity of your choice, like the Alabama Spay Neuter Clinic. J-Dog is giving away a $10 Amazon gift card (purchased through Amazon Smile to help the Spay Neuter Clinic) to one of the people who leaves a comment. Check back Wednesday to see if you won.

Up next week, Lou Anders's fish Lilly Pad and Blue. The fish turn things on their head and make it #FishyFriday. They'll be talking about the latest Thrones & Bones release, Nightborn. It is going to be awesome. Can't wait!